Debut speculative fiction novel from Tej Turner set in the world of alternative lifestyles
DARTFORD, KENT – 2 January 2015 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is delighted to announce the publication today of The Janus Cycle, the first novel by exciting new author Tej Turner.
The Janus Cycle can best be described as gritty, sexy, surreal, urban fantasy. Janus is a nightclub. But it’s not merely a location, it’s virtually a character in its own right. On the surface it appears to be a subcultural hub where the strange and disillusioned, who feel alienated and oppressed by society, can escape to be free from convention. Underneath that façade is a surreal space in time where the very foundations of reality can be twisted and distorted. But the special, unique, vibe of Janus is hijacked by a bandwagon of people who choose to conform to alternative lifestyles simply because it has become fashionable to be ‘different’ and this causes many of its original occupants to feel lost and disenchanted. The story unfolds through the eyes of eight narrators, each with their own perspective and their own personal journey. A story in which the nightclub itself goes on a journey. But throughout, one strange girl briefly appears and reappears, warning the narrators that their individual journeys are going to collide in a cataclysmic event. Is she just another one of the nightclub’s denizens, a cynical mischief-maker out to create havoc, or a time-traveller trying to prevent an impending disaster?
The uncompromising realism, combined with fantastic elements, make The Janus Cycle simultaneously urban fantasy and science fiction and “illustrates perfectly the breadth and depth that makes Speculative Fiction the most exciting and innovative genre today” says publisher Al Murray. The episodic way in which the story unfolds is reminiscent of contemporary film-making, building tension in anticipation of the final act.
The Janus Cycle is published today by Elsewhen Press in digital editions and will be published in a print edition in April.
Notes for Editors
About Tej Turner
Tej Turner has just begun branching out as a writer and been published in anthologies, including Impossible Spaces (Hic Dragones Press) and The Bestiarum Vocabulum (Western Legends).
His parents moved around a bit while he was growing up so he doesn’t have any particular place he calls “home”, but most of his developing years were spent in the West country of England. He went on to Trinity College in Carmarthen to study Film and Creative Writing, and then later to complete an MA at The University of Wales, Lampeter, where he minored in ancient history but mostly focused on sharpening his writing skills.
Tej is currently backpacking his way across Asia and keeping a travelblog to let his friends and fans follow him on his adventures as he gallivants around Burma, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Nepal. When he is not trekking through jungles or exploring temples, reefs, and caves, he is usually based in Cardiff, where he works by day, writes by moonlight, and squeezes in the occasional trip to roam around megalithic sites and the British countryside. The next time he has enough money he will be flying off on another adventure.
The Janus Cycle is his first published novel. He is currently engaged in writing an epic fantasy series.